Molding apparatus.



No. 805,824. PATENTBD NOV. 21, 1905.

J. ROBIN-LANGLOIS.

MOLDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2, 1905 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

MOLDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..2, 1905 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATBNTED NOV. 21, 1905.

J. ROBIN-LANGLOIS.

MOLDING APPARATUS.

unmn'mn nun run, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

7505 z'nl azyl cls UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1.905.

Application iiled March 2, 1905. Serial No. 248,091.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I. JOSEPH ROBIN-LANG- LoIs, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MoldingApparatuses; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in molding apparatuses of that class in which sugar or other material is molded in a continuous sheet and then cut or severed into short slabs or blocks.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient apparatus or machine of this character which will be of rectilinear form for continuous operation and in which the severed slabs or blocks of sugar will have sharp clean-cut edges.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for ejecting-or removing the severed slabs'or plates of sugar from the machine.

A further object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction and operation of machines of this character, and therebyrender the same more efficient.

WVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts in section, of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, parts being removed to more clearly illustrate the construction. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale. through one end of the machine, showing the mechanism for ejecting or removing the molded slabs of sugar from the mold-sections. Fig. 4 is a detail top plan view of a portion of the ejecting mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the line .90 m in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail end elevation of the machine. Fig. 7 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the line 3/ y in Fig. 2.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings comprises a suitable frame or support consisting of uprights 9, connected by a horizontally-disposed frame, upon which are journaled a horizontal series of rollers 9 and at the ends of which are provided supporting-frames 8 and 18. In these supporting-frames 8 and 18 are mounted three sets of sprocket-wheels 10 10 39 39, and 20 20, about which are passed endless carriers, here shown in the form of sprocket-chains 1212 The two sets of sprocket-wheels 10 10 and 39 39 are mounted in vertical alinement in the frame 8, and the set of sprocket-wheels 20 20are mounted in the frame 18 in horizontal alinement with the set of sprocket-wheels 39 39. The sprocket-wheels 20 20 are secured upon the outer ends of a transverse shaft 21, journaled in bearings which are slidably and adjustably mounted in the frame 18 by means of set-screws 21. wheels 20 20 is provided for varying the tension of the sprocket-chains 12 12. wheels 39 39 are secured upon a shaft A0, which is journaled in bearings 41 upon the upper portion of the frame 8, and the sprocketwheels 10 10 are secured upon a shaft 6, journaled in suitable bearings upon the lower portion of the frame 8 and having at one of its ends a worm-wheel 5, by means of which said shaft 6 may be rotated for the purpose of driving the sprocket-chains 12 12. The said worm-wheel 5 is in mesh with the worm 4 upon a shaft 2, which is mounted in suitable bearings 3 and which has at one of its ends the usual fixed and loose pulleys 1 1.

Each of the sprocket-chains 12 12 is formed of alternating female links 13, which are adapted to receive the teeth upon said sprocketwheels, and supporting-links 13*, which are formed with arms 14, having bearing-openings l4. Journaled in the openings 14. are trunnions 15 15, which are formed upon the ends of mold-sections 16. Said mold-sections are substantially rectangular in form and consist of a bottom 16 and two sides or ends 16, the bottom 16 being formed with recesses 16 for a purpose presently explained. The

trunnions or pivot-studs 15 15* are located in alinement with each other upon the ends 16 of said sections and directly above the centers of gravity of said sections, so that the latter when free to swing will always assume a horizontal position. The sprocket-chains 12 12 being passed around the said sprocket-wheels This adjustment of the shaft 21 and the 1 The sprocketspect to each other to provide or form an upper horizontal stretch 50, which lies upon the rollers 9, and a vertical stretch 51, which extends between the vertically-alined sprocketwheels 10 10 39 39. The width of each of the mold-sections 16 is such that when the chains pass between the wheels 20 39 39 and over the rollers 9 said mold-sections will have their edges in contact with each other, so as to form a continuous sectional mold or molding-table upon the top of the machine. The sugar or other material which is to be molded by the machine is placed upon this molding-table and formed into a continuous sheet or slab, which is cut or severed between each of the mold-sections 16 when the latter reach the point 16. (Shown in Fig. 1.) This cutting or severing of the continuous sheet of sugar is preferably done by hand by running a knife between said mold-sections, and it is greatly facilitated, so that the edges of the severed sugar-slabs will be sharp and clean cut, by reason of the fact that said moldsections 16 maintain a horizontal position when passing wheels 39 39 and between the latter and the wheels 10 10. An ejecting mechanism, hereinafter explained, is provided at this point, and in order to restore or return the mold-sections to their proper positions with respect to the links of the sprocketchains I provide upon the shaft 6 of the wheels 10 10 a roller or cylinder 17. This cylinder engages said mold-sections as the latter pass the wheels 10 10 and swings them to a position tangential to said wheels, so that during the upwardly-inclined bottom stretch of said chains said mold-sections will be maintained in parallel relation with respect to the links of said chains. A roller 18 is provided upon the shaft 19 of the sprocket-wheels 2O 20, so that the mold-sections 16 will be maintained in a tangential position with respect to said wheels while passing them and so that said mold-sections will be properly alined upon the horizontal stretch 50 of the sprocketchains.

In order to feed the sugar or other material upon the continuous sectional mold formed by the sections 16, I provide above the same adjacent to one end of the machine a feedhopper24, having an upwardly-flared top 23. In the lower portion of the hopper 24: is provided a reciprocatory agitator or rake 25, having teeth or fingers 26. Said rake 25 slides horizontally through an opening formed in one side of the hopper and is operated by means of a lever 27, which is pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 27*, and has its lower end pivoted, as at 27 to one end of said rake 25. The upper end of the lever 27 is formed with a slot through which projects a crankpin 28, pivoted upon a crank-disk 29, which is secured upon the outer end of a shaft 30.

are arranged in triangular relation with rel The latter is journaled in suitable bearings 31 and has at one of its ends tight and loose driving pulleys 31 31. The rake 25 causes the sugar within the hopper 24 to be spread evenly upon the mold-sections, and in order to level this layer or sheet of sugar I provide leveling devices 36, which are in the form of horizontally disposed wheels, which are mounted to rotate between the ends 16 of the mold-sections. These wheels consist of curved radially-disposed arms 33, formed upon hubs or heads, which are secured upon the lower ends of vertically-disposed shafts 37 37 mounted in bearings, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Upon the upper ends of the shafts 37 37 are provided sprocket-wheels 37 which are connected by a sprocket-chain 37 to a sprocket-wheel 37, secured upon the lower end of a shaft 37 Said shaft 37 has upon its u pper end a beveled gear 37 which meshes with a similar gear 37', secured upon the shaft 30. It will be seen that when the shaft is rotated its movement will be imparted to the spreaders 33 36 to rotate the same. To assist the latter and to cause the sugar to be distributed more evenly over the mold-sections, a curved plate is suspended between the spreader's 33 36, as shown. After the layer of sugar is spread upon the mold-sections it is compressed as the latter are passed beneath a pressure-roller 38, which is mounted in suitable bearings 38 at each side of the machine.

In order to remove the severed slabs or blocks of sugar from the mold-sections 16, ejecting mechanism is provided adjacent to the vertical stretch 51 of the sprocketchains, and to facilitate this ejection or removal of the guiding slabs or plates each of said moldsections is provided with a removable plate or body 22, which is made, preferably, of zinc. This plate 22 conforms in shape to the bottom 16 of one of the mold-sections, so that the sugar-slab 22 will be molded upon the same. Said plates are removably secured upon the bottom 16 of the mold-sections by providing studs upon the under sides of said plates to engage notches or recesses 16, formed in said bottom 16. These removable plates or bottoms 22 are placed by hand upon the mold-section as the latter passes between the wheels 20 20", and they are removed, together with the sugar-slabs 22, by the ejecting mechanism as they pass between the rollers 39 39 10 105 The ejecting mechanism comprises stops 43, which are disposed and mounted so that they project into the path of the slots 16 in the bottoms 16 of the moldsections, and will therefore engage and lift the said plates 22 from the mold-sections as the latter continue their downward movement, as clearly shownin Fig. 3 of the drawings. Slidably mounted upon said stop 43 and a suitable support 43 is an ejecting-plate 48, which is adapted to slide beneath the plate 22, as the latter is supported upon the said stops 43. This plate 48 is reciprocated automatically at the proper instant by a mechanism actuated by the sprocket-chains 12 12. This mechanism comprises an arm or lever 44, mounted upon an oscillatory shaft 46. which is mounted in suitable bearings upon the support 43. Secured upon the shaft 46 are two arms 45, formed with slots 45 to receive studs 47, provided upon the under side of the sliding plate 48. Said shaft 46 is also provided with an arm upon which is adjustabl y mounted a weight 49, which is adapted to restore the parts to their normal position after they are actuated by studs 12, formed upon the links 13 of the chain 12 and adapted to engage and depress the arm 44. It will beseen that when said arm is depressed the ejectorplate 48 will be moved beneath the plate 22 upon the stop 43 and that when the weight 49 restores said arm to its normal position said plate 22 will be moved outwardly by the plate 48.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood Without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion. and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. A rectilinear molding-machine of the character described, comprising sprocketwheels 39, 39, sprocket-chains 12, 12 passed around said wheels and having links 13, 13 a plurality of mold-sections 16, alining trunnions 15, 15 upon the ends of said mold-sections above their centers of gravity, whereby said mold-sections will be maintained in a horizontal position when said chains pass around said wheels, said mold-sections forming a continuous mold-surface and being supported by the links, in order to'facilitate the rupture or separation of the contents of each mold-section from that of the next adjacent one, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of direction elements, an endless flexible carrier passed over the direction elements and having a horizontal lead and a vertical lead and mold -sections independently pivotally connected to the carrier and each having a weight to keep it in a horizontal po sition, said mold-sections forming a continuous molding-table.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of direction elements, an endless flexible carrier passed over the direction elements and havinga horizontal lead and avertical lead, and mold-sections independently pivotally connected to the carrier and forming a continuous molding-table,means to maintain said mold-sections in a horizontal position, means to feed material to the mold-sections on the horizontal lead of the carrier and means to eject the contents of the mold-sections on the vertical lead of the carrier.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of an endless traveling carrier, independently pivotally mounted mold-sections carried by the carriers and forming a continuous molding-table, means to maintain said mold-sections in a horizontal position, means to feed material to the mold-sections, and automatically-operating means controlled by the movement of the endless carrier to eject the contents of the mold-sections successively.

5. A molding-machine comprising an endless carrier having a horizontal and a vertical stretch, mold-sections pivotally mounted upon said carrier and adapted to form a continuous molding-table upon the horizontal stretch of said carrier, said sections being so pivoted as to be maintained in a horizontal position upon the vertical stretch of said carrier, and means for ejecting or removing the contents of said mold-sections upon the vertical stretch of said carrier.

6. A mold-machine comprising an endless carrier having a horizontal and a vertical stretch, mold-sections pivotally mounted upon said carrier and adapted to forma continuous molding-table upon the horizontal stretch of said carrier, said sections being so pivoted as to be maintained in a horizontal position upon the vertical stretch of said carrier, means for feeding sugar or other material upon said molding-table, means for spreading and leveling said sugar, means for compressing said sugar, and means for ejecting or removing the contents of said mold-sections.

7. A mold-machine comprising a suitable support or frame, three sets of sprocketwheels mounted in triangular relation upon said frame, two of said sets being in vertical alinement and two in horizontal alinement, sprocket-chains passing around said wheels to form horizontal and vertical stretches, moldsections pivotally suspended from said chains, said sections being adapted to form a con tinuous molding-table upon the horizontal stretch of said chains and to maintain a horizontal position upon the vertical stretch of said chains, removable plates upon said moldsections, a feed-hopper, a rake in said hopper, a spreader device. a pressure roller, and means for removing or ejecting said plates from said mold sections, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a mold-machine, the combination of an endless carrier, mold-sections mounted thereon, removable plates upon said mold-sections, and means for removing said plates from said mold-sections, said means comprising a stop to lift said plates from said mold-sections, a sliding element to remove said plates from said stop, and means actuated by said carrier for operating said sliding plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 1 nesses.

JOSEPH ROBlN-LANGLOIS.

Witnesses:

ANTOINE ANGIER, HANSON 0. (30x12. 

